Situation Report: Iranian police open fire amid water shortage protests

Iranian police opened fire amid the second night of protests over severe water shortages in the country’s southwestern region. Tensions have escalated in the Khuzestan province since March, as a sharp decrease in precipitation has dried up the region’s once fertile plains and increased food insecurity.

A video circulated by the Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran shows a police officer firing a pistol in the air followed by a second shot. Moments later, more riot police fire at protestors from motorcycles. According to the Associated Press, the video appears to be authentic as it parallels recognizable features of the location of the protests.

One day prior to this video’s release, Iranian state media blamed the death of a protestor on “opportunists and rioters.” In the past, Iranian police have violently cracked down on demonstrations, blaming the death and injuries of participants on the protestors themselves.  Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Lebanon have also violently targeted protestors with anti-Iran sentiments in the past.

Khuzestan, Iran’s most fruitful oil-producing region, is also home to a large Sunni Arab population. Citizens in Khuzestan have complained of discrimination and marginalization at the hands of Tehran’s Shiite government previously. In fact, the southwestern province played a critical role in the anti-government protests that swept Iran in 2019.

Iran has experienced a surge in mass protests in recent months. In June, thousands of energy workers went on strike in the country’s southern gas fields, demanding better pay and working conditions. A few weeks later, protests popped up throughout Iran in response to widespread electricity blackouts. In a video circulated on social media, protestors can be heard chanting “Death to Khamenei, death to dictator.”

As protests continue, Iranian officials will likely escalate the scope and frequency of actions taken against the demonstrators.